Reddit Glossary: 100+ Terms Every Marketer Needs to Know
Neo Anderson
Table of Contents▼
Why You Need to Know Reddit Terminology
Reddit has its own language. Understanding these terms isn't just about fitting in — it's essential for running effective marketing campaigns. Misusing terminology or misunderstanding how features work can tank your strategy before it starts.
This glossary covers 100+ terms organized by category, from basic concepts to advanced marketing terminology.
Basic Reddit Terms
Subreddit
A community on Reddit focused on a specific topic, prefixed with "r/" (e.g., r/marketing, r/startups). Each subreddit has its own rules, moderators, and culture.
Post (Submission)
Content shared to a subreddit. Can be text, links, images, videos, or polls. Also called a "submission" or "thread."
Comment
A reply to a post or another comment. Comments form threaded discussions and can be upvoted or downvoted independently.
Upvote
A vote indicating you find content valuable or agree with it. Upvotes increase a post or comment's score and visibility. Learn more about upvotes.
Downvote
A vote indicating content isn't valuable or you disagree. Downvotes decrease a post's score and can push content down or hide it. Learn about downvoting.
Karma
Reddit's reputation score. You earn post karma from upvoted posts and comment karma from upvoted comments. Higher karma means more trust and fewer restrictions.
OP (Original Poster)
The person who created the post. In comments, OP is highlighted so others know when the author is responding.
Thread
A post and all its comments. Can also refer to a specific comment chain within a post.
Redditor
A Reddit user. The community refers to themselves as Redditors.
Lurker
Someone who reads Reddit but rarely or never posts or comments. Most Reddit users are lurkers.
Content & Posting Terms
Self Post (Text Post)
A post that contains text only (no external link). Self posts don't earn karma on some subreddits.
Link Post
A post that links to external content (articles, images, videos). Clicking the title takes you to the linked URL.
Crosspost
Sharing a post from one subreddit to another while maintaining attribution to the original poster.
Flair
Tags or labels attached to posts or users. Post flair categorizes content; user flair shows status or identity within a subreddit.
NSFW
"Not Safe For Work" — content that's inappropriate for a professional setting. NSFW posts are blurred and require a click to view.
Spoiler
Content that reveals plot details or surprises. Spoiler-tagged content is hidden until clicked.
OC (Original Content)
Content created by the poster themselves, not shared from another source.
TL;DR
"Too Long; Didn't Read" — a brief summary at the end of a long post.
AMA (Ask Me Anything)
An interactive Q&A format where someone invites the community to ask them questions. Popular in r/IAmA.
ELI5
"Explain Like I'm 5" — a request to explain something in simple terms. Also a subreddit (r/explainlikeimfive).
Community & Moderation Terms
Moderator (Mod)
A volunteer who manages a subreddit — enforcing rules, removing posts, banning users, and maintaining community standards.
Admin
A Reddit employee who manages the entire platform, not just individual subreddits.
Sidebar
The information panel on the right side of a subreddit (desktop) containing rules, guidelines, related subreddits, and community info.
Wiki
A collaborative knowledge base within a subreddit, often containing FAQs, guides, and resources.
Subreddit Rules
Community-specific guidelines that all posts and comments must follow. Violating rules can result in post removal or bans.
Ban
Being prohibited from posting or commenting in a subreddit (temporary or permanent). Can also be site-wide.
Shadowban
A stealth ban where your posts and comments are invisible to everyone except you. You won't know you're shadowbanned unless you check. Use our Shadowban Checker to verify your status.
Automod (AutoModerator)
An automated moderation bot that enforces rules by filtering posts, comments, and users based on configured criteria.
Scoring & Algorithm Terms
Score
The net result of upvotes minus downvotes on a post or comment. Score determines ranking and visibility.
Hot
Reddit's default sorting algorithm that balances score with recency. Hot posts have both high scores and recent activity.
Top
Sorting by highest score within a time period (hour, day, week, month, year, all time).
New
Sorting by most recent posts. Shows everything regardless of score.
Rising
Posts gaining upvotes quickly. The rising queue is where content goes before hitting the front page.
Best
An algorithm that considers upvote-to-downvote ratio and confidence intervals. Used for sorting comments.
Controversial
Posts or comments with roughly equal upvotes and downvotes. High engagement but divisive.
CQS (Contributor Quality Score)
Reddit's internal score measuring account quality. Based on karma, account age, posting history, and community behavior. Higher CQS means fewer restrictions. Check your CQS.
Front Page
The main Reddit feed showing top content from subreddits you're subscribed to (or r/all for everything).
r/all
A feed showing top posts from all subreddits (except those that opt out). Getting to r/all means massive visibility.
r/popular
Similar to r/all but filtered to exclude NSFW and very niche content.
Award & Premium Terms
Reddit Premium
A paid subscription ($6.99/month) that removes ads, provides monthly coins, and grants access to r/lounge.
Awards
Virtual gifts given to posts or comments. Types include Silver, Gold, Platinum, Argentium, and Ternion. Awards boost visibility and give the recipient Reddit Premium time. Buy Reddit awards.
Coins
Virtual currency used to purchase awards. Earned through Reddit Premium or by receiving Gold/Platinum awards.
Marketing-Specific Terms
Astroturfing
Faking grassroots support or organic engagement. Reddit users and moderators actively look for and report astroturfing.
Shill
Someone who promotes a product or service while pretending to be a regular user. Being called a "shill" is one of the worst accusations on Reddit.
Native Advertising
Promotional content that blends naturally with organic Reddit posts. The most effective form of Reddit marketing.
Upvote Campaign
A strategy to boost content visibility by purchasing upvotes from real accounts.
Comment Seeding
Strategically placing positive comments about a brand or product in relevant threads. Buy Reddit comments for effective seeding.
Karma Farming
The practice of posting easy, highly-upvotable content to build karma quickly. Used to establish account credibility before marketing. Learn more about building karma.
Aged Account
A Reddit account that's been active for months or years with established karma and post history. Aged accounts are more trusted by both Reddit users and algorithms. Buy aged accounts.
Slang & Culture Terms
Cake Day
The anniversary of when a Reddit account was created. A cake icon appears next to the username.
Throwaway
A temporary, anonymous account created for a specific post (often sensitive topics).
Repost
Content that has been shared before. Reposting is frowned upon in most communities.
Karma Whore
Someone who posts low-effort content purely to earn karma. Considered derogatory.
This
A common (often mocked) one-word comment expressing agreement.
F
A comment expressing respect or condolences, originating from the video game prompt "Press F to pay respects."
Based
Agreeing with a statement or opinion, particularly one that's controversial or goes against popular sentiment.
Copypasta
A block of text that gets copied and pasted across threads, often humorous or absurd.
r/whoosh
Pointing out when someone misses the joke.
Edit: Thanks for the Gold!
A (now often parodied) tradition of editing a post to thank someone for giving an award.
Advanced Reddit Features
Reddit Chat
Direct messaging feature allowing private conversations between users.
Reddit Live
Real-time streaming and live threads for events.
Multireddit
A custom feed combining multiple subreddits into a single view.
Reddit API
Reddit's programming interface that allows third-party apps and bots to interact with the platform.
Old Reddit
The previous version of Reddit's design (old.reddit.com), still preferred by many longtime users.
Using This Glossary for Better Marketing
Understanding Reddit's terminology is the foundation of effective marketing on the platform. When you speak the language, you blend in. When you blend in, your marketing becomes invisible — which on Reddit, is exactly what you want.
For help executing your Reddit marketing strategy, explore our full suite of services at Upvote.sh.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important Reddit term for marketers to know?▼
Karma and CQS (Contributor Quality Score) are the two most critical terms. Karma determines your account's credibility, while CQS affects your ability to post and engage effectively across subreddits.
What does 'shadowban' mean on Reddit?▼
A shadowban is a stealth ban where your content becomes invisible to everyone except you. You won't receive any notification — your posts simply get no engagement. Use a Shadowban Checker tool to verify your account status.
What is karma and why does it matter for marketing?▼
Karma is Reddit's reputation score earned from upvoted posts and comments. For marketers, higher karma means: posting in more subreddits, less spam filter triggers, more credibility with users, and better content visibility.
What's the difference between post karma and comment karma?▼
Post karma comes from upvotes on posts you submit, while comment karma comes from upvotes on your comments. Both contribute to your total karma. For marketing purposes, comment karma is often easier to build through genuine engagement.
Neo Anderson
Author
Reddit strategist and founder of Upvote.sh. I help brands cut through the noise on Reddit with data-driven upvote strategies that actually move the needle. When I'm not reverse-engineering the front page algorithm, I'm probably lurking in niche subreddits looking for the next big opportunity.